Observations Commentary The '15 murder  If you’ve followed the Melissa Palacios Patterson crime story since her initial arrest in August 2015, after which she was charged with capital murder, you already know most of the details. It remains the longest murder trial in the history of Hidalgo County (fiveplus weeks). In a nutshell, a failed businesswoman who is related to a local political dynasty (PSJA) was hired by a local hospice (McAllen-based) and handed the job of chief administrator, thanks to some friends on the hospice board of directors. This, despite the fact that a relatively simple background check would have easily uncovered ...